Amidst The Chaos
by dreamwalker12
Summary: Three lost souls wandering a world of confusion. One whose brilliance is only overshadowed by his uncertainty, one who was left behind, and one who has been given the power to cleanse the world. Takes place after end of the series. I don't own Death Note.
1. Diploma

**Chapter One: Diploma****  
**

"Hey, Ollie!" 18-year-old Oliver Staek looked up from his newly earned diploma, his feathery bangs covering caramel brown eyes. His friend, Suzume was waving to him from a cluster of other former seniors, elation radiating off of her tiny body. How very like her. He waved back, but didn't go over to meet her. He wasn't in the mood.

Ollie didn't blame her for being enthusiastic; most people would be after graduation. It meant that they were no longer children to be looked down upon by society as 'incompetent' or 'ignorant'. They would now leap valiantly from the nest of adolescence, spread their strong wings, and fly off into the world, courageous, confident, and capable. Most of them anyway.

Ollie felt as if he was the only one who didn't know what to do with his life. He was smart, had easily gotten into To-oh University on a scholarship, and everybody knew that he'd find a good career. Everybody but him. When he was younger, Ollie had wanted nothing more than to be like his father and work for the FBI when he grew up. Because of his work, there were times when Ollie wouldn't see his father for weeks, but he didn't mind. He knew his dad was working hard on top-secret government missions. The fact that his father was prohibited from telling Ollie much of anything only enthralled him further.

It was ages ago, yet is seemed only yesterday that Ollie would stay up far past his bedtime, waiting patiently for him to return home. He'd sit there for hours in the stillness of the night, keeping his silent vigil. At the sounds of a car pulling up into the driveway, Ollie would throw off the covers and run to meet his father at the door. He'd be greeted by being lifted off the floor in a huge bear hug, then would be scolded for staying up so late.

Those times had been the best of his life, and had ended far too soon.

Eight years ago, his father had been murdered by Kira, along with eleven of his colleagues.

After that, Ollie had become an introvert. He had loved, and looked up to his father, and for his role model to be taken away just like that was a huge shock. He hadn't been prepared for the gash that had appeared in his heart the day he and his mother heard the grim news. He had gone from being a cheerful, happy ten-year-old to being quiet, and withdrawn. He'd no longer participate in class, and keep to himself during recess, preferring to stay inside than go out to play.

His teachers had become worried, and he had had countless sessions with the school councilor. He wasn't mentally sick, not depressed enough to do anything destructive to himself, and not angry enough to hurt others. Nobody knew how to deal with him, so after having their efforts fail time and time again, they gave up.

His mother, Beth Staek, had taken it very hard too, and had cried alone in her room for three days straight. Nothing Ollie had said or done could make her come out, so he sat outside her door, waiting for her like he had his father.

Eventually, time healed them, to an extent. His mother's happiness was a thin sheet of rice paper that hid her true underlying grief. She laughed, and smiled, but her laughter always had an empty ring to it, and her smile was wistful.

Ollie began to communicate with his peers again, but always stayed unattached, and would still rather watch and observe class activities than participate. Still, his teachers embraced and encouraged the recovery, no matter how slow. But his personality was never completely regained. Instead of striving for success like he used to, he began to fear it. School had always been easy for him, and when he realized just how far ahead of his classmates he was, he got scared. To prevent himself from skipping grades, he would make an effort to get problems on tests wrong so he would stay in a C to B range, although that had changed in high school. The threat of change made him with being only a fly on the wall. Change became the thing he resented most.

So when he heard he and his mother would be moving, he felt as if the world had come crashing down on him.

Beth had said that they shouldn't dwell on the past so much. That there was no use in wallowing in what had already been done. That's why they had moved to Japan.

It had been strange. Knick Staek had, after all, been killed in Japan, and for the longest time Ollie couldn't figure out what had possessed his mother to make her move there of all places. He had resented everything about the move, but couldn't find the heart to say so. At that time his mother was still teetering dangerously on the edge of depression, and he didn't want to do anything to tip her over. He didn't want to lose her too.

It had only been a few months ago that Ollie figured out her real motive.

For Beth, the town they had lived in held too many ghosts. She'd grown up there with his father, and after his death, things had become hard for her. No matter which way she turned, something would stir up her emotions and send her spiraling down into agonizing despair. Knowing she could not raise a child properly when she couldn't overcome her pain, she decided to move back to the country she had been born in.

Japan.

Now that Ollie knew the truth, he'd come to appreciate his mother's bravery. What would he have done had he been in her place? He couldn't answer that question. He was ashamed of his weakness, and feared that it would someday envelop him completely. And then it would be too late to turn back.

The diploma he now held in his hands felt like a blessing and a curse. Now he would go to college and find a meaning to his life. If he didn't, he'd be lost in a sea of people who were living their lives happily and with carefree ease. What would he do then? The diploma marked a gateway to a new world where he would either learn to fly, or plummet into nothingness.

Ollie squeezed his thumb and forefinger together tightly at the thought, wrinkling that piece of paper. That one piece of paper that meant so much.

A/N: Ollie's last name is NOT pronounced steak. It said as STA as in star, and EK as in echo. STA•EK. Please don't be like my betareader and say steak…no matter how funny it is.


	2. Illusion

Chapter Two: Illusion

**A/N: As everybody knows (probably) I don't own Death Note. **

"Congratulations, Ollie," Beth said, giving his shoulder a squeeze. Ollie looked at his mother and smiled. She was genuinely proud of him, and he felt a little hopeful himself.

"Thanks, Mom."

Beth's ebony eyes began to tear as she looked up at her son. He definitely had come a long way from the mischievous little boy she had raised, and the sullen, subdued child he had been during that time. He was such an intelligent, gentle young man, and she wished for nothing more than for him to open his eyes and see his potential.

"Mom?" Ollie was unable to keep worry from entering his voice. Years of coping with loss had made him very sensitive to his mother's tears.

"Hmm? Oh, Ollie sweetie, don't look like that. I'm just so proud of you! I'm sure your dad would be too."

"I hope so," he whispered. Beth gave him a look of astonishment.

"What are you saying? Of course he would!" she said, hugging him reassuringly, attracting a few judgmental stares. Ollie knew that she was probably regretting that comment now, and felt guilty for it. But he had meant it to sound like that. He really didn't know what his father would have thought about him. Or maybe it was that he didn't want to know.

"So," Beth restarted, wiping the tear from her cheek. "Is there anyplace special you'd like to go for dinner?"

"Not really," Ollie said. "I'm kinda tired."

"Alright then, I'll make something at home. Shall we go? Or is there anybody you want to say goodbye to first?"

Ollie thought about that. Suzume was will her crowd, so if he left, she probably wouldn't notice. She was the type of girl who always smiled and liked everybody, so naturally people were attracted to her like flies to sugar. He considered her his closest friend in comparison to his others, but he knew that the reverse was not the same. As for his other acquaintances, they were lost in the sea of graduates and family members. He didn't care much. It would be awkward saying goodbye to people he'd only really talked to a few times anyway.

He looked back at his mother, and could tell instantly that she wanted him to say goodbye to people. She wanted him to have friends and a decent social life. She wanted him to get back on his feet and be truly happy again. But it just wasn't that simple.

Ollie looked into her eyes, trying to make her understand, before answering.

"No, we can go home."

The train ride home was a silent one, as they had been for the past few years. Silence had become the main dialect between Ollie and his mother, yet they were communicating better than ever before. Unspoken words were ten times more potent than vocalized ones, if you could hear them.

Silence had been described as golden, awkward, and maddening, but to them it was essential. It protected them from unintentionally rubbing sandpaper over still delicate wounds with a slip of the tongue.

While Beth checked voice mail she had gotten during the ceremony, Ollie stared blankly out the window. He

watched as the city flew by him. It wasn't much to look at really, mostly just different shades of gray melting into each other.

The incessant whoosh of the train moving swiftly along its rail was having a mesmerizing effect on him, and his eyelids began to grow heavy.

Suddenly he cried out in surprise. Something, an image, had flashed in the window for a split second. Alarmed, Beth nearly dropped her cell phone.

"What? What's wrong?"

For a long moment Ollie couldn't find his voice. It had been so weird, he was beginning to doubt he had really seen anything at all.

"The-the window!" he stuttered

"What about the window?"

"I dunno know. A bird must have flown into it or something. It…startled me, that's all."

"Oh. Well, I hope it's okay," Beth said, glad that there was no real emergency, then resumed checking her mail.

Lying had never been something Ollie liked to do, but he had to admit that it was one of his skills. He'd been pretty responsible about it, and hadn't exploited that particular talent since he was a kid. So for the life of him, he couldn't figure out what had compelled him to fabricate such a story.

He wasn't crazy. He was fairly sure that he still held onto at least a thread of his sanity. Before when it was much more likely to occur, he hadn't suffered from hallucinations. Not even once. Ollie's mind felt blurred and dizzy, as he tried to rationalize things. He was probably just worn out from the events of the day. Yes, that was a logical explanation for everything.

Why couldn't he have just told her that he "thought he saw something, but it was really nothing"? Then he could have followed with his excuse and everything would be just fine. It wasn't something that he had to hide; yet unconsciously he had. And it was too late to take it back now.

He tried to forget about it. Tried to tell himself that it was nothing, and that he was just tired. Tried to make his thoughts melt and his brain go blank for a change. But it kept eating away at him.

That face, those eyes, that expression.

Ollie shuddered as he recalled every detail, every little feature of that person's face. Although he had only seen it for an instant, it had felt like time had moved in slow motion, and he had found himself staring at the person in the window for eons.

**A/N: These chapters will be getting longer. And I promise there will be actual Death Note characters (character) in chapter three. Really. I swear. Please review! **


	3. Encounter

**Chapter Three: Encounter **

"Mom? Did you feed Opheodrys already?" Ollie called from his room, noticing one lone cricket in his Rough Green Snake's terrarium. It was Saturday night, the time he usually fed Pheo, but if he'd already eaten, then Ollie didn't want to overfeed the snake.

"This morning," Beth hollered back. Opheodrys hastily ate the last cricket. Then he looked pleadingly at the bug box his master held in his hand. Ollie frowned and set the box down on the table. The snake sulked, knowing he would have to wait another week for food.

"Come on, I'm not about to give you more just because you look at me like that," Ollie said, opening the lid of the terrarium and putting his hand inside. Opheodrys's head perked up, and he entwined himself around Ollie's arm. "Well, Pheo," he said as the snake slithered up to his bicep, "I have a bit of research to do."

Ollie seated himself at his desk and booted up his computer. He'd found something earlier on the To-oh University web page, but hadn't had the time to check it out. He scrolled through his history until he found the address he was looking for. The site was entitled: To-oh University's Hall Of Fame.

Being the prestigious school it was, Ollie hadn't been very surprised when he had found the link to the site. (Although it _had_ seemed a bit juvenile for a college to have.) Ollie wanted to see exactly how many great people had graduated from the school he'd soon be entering, and if it would raise expectations of him. If brilliance were the norm, then his performance would be just that. No more, not too much less.

The golden page was filled with pictures and bios of star graduates from To-oh, and included information such as how they had ranked in their class, and what they became after graduating.

One bio Ollie read blew him away.

"Whoa, look at this one Pheo!" he whispered, gesturing to a bio with a photo of a handsome looking young man. Opheodrys raised his head, then not seeing his master's reason for excitement, lowered it.

_ Yagami Light, graduating class of 2008. Entered into To-oh with 100 on all of his entrance exams, and tied at the top of his class. After graduation, he went on to work in the Intelligence and Information Bureau of the NPA._

"That's incredible!" Ollie remarked. _"But if he was tied for first, even with his perfect marks, who was he tied with?"_ he thought. Ollie looked at the rest of the page, but the only other person he even recognized was Takada Kiyomi, who he remembered was Kira's spokeswoman who died last year. There was nobody from Yagami's class.

"Weird. You'd think they'd at least write about the person he tied with," he muttered before logging off. Opheodrys looked at his master, perplexed. Sometimes he really just didn't understand humans.

_Later that night..._

The curtain was drawn, letting no moon or starlight into Ollie's room. It was 2:00 AM, and the Staek apartment had been muted by slumber.

Under the warmth of the covers, Ollie was having a nightmare. The nightmare he had experienced many times, but couldn't remember. All he could recall when he awoke in a cold sweat was that it had been the same dream, and that it had been horrific in an almost inconceivable way. That nightmare had haunted him for eight years and counting. Elusive as smoke, and terrifying as hell.

As it came to its close, Ollie's eyes shot open. Sweat rolled down his temples, and his lungs heaved. He forced his eyes shut, and clenched his fists so tightly that it hurt. He felt sick, as he always did when he awoke from that dream.

It always left him with the feel of imminent demise.  
After a few minutes of post-nightmare suffering, the wave of nausea passed. He tried to calm his body down, but his heart wouldn't settle. Its beat was fast and hard, an impossible rhythm for Ollie to drift off to. He closed his eyes anyway in a futile attempt at sleep.

Reaching a state of tranquility was impossible, Ollie knew that much. He'd never been able to do so before, and he knew that this time would be no different. Still, there was nothing else for him to do but try.

He lay there. Time slowly continued its never-ending march into oblivion. Transcending space and venturing into nothingness. Seconds ticked away, steadily whittling down the remaining hours of night.

Weariness gnawed at his mind. Numerous signals were telling his brain that his body needed sleep, and yet something hidden within his subconscious forbade this necessity. Something that knew that if he slept again, he would dream. His senses began to numb as he entered into a silence-induced trance. It was the most restful thing his body could do for the time being.

The calm of the night was suddenly shattered. Ollie's body tensed as he felt an eerie presence in the room.

His skin prickled as if someone were reaching out to him. Was that a floorboard creaking? Panic enclosed him its crushing grip. Was someone in there? But how could anybody come in without him hearing? He'd closed the door before going to bed, and had been lying awake for at least fifteen minutes! Or maybe he was just being paranoid. He didn't bother opening his eyes to check. The room was so dark he wouldn't be able to see anyway.

He felt the need to do something, and fast. Through his apprehension, he was able to formulate a rough plan. Fist and most importantly he needed to confirm that someone else was really in the room. At the moment, he could only efficiently use two of his five senses. No, make that one. Ollie didn't want to actually reach out into the darkness and feel for a person. What would he do if there really was someone there? So he strained his ears, but could hear no breath or heartbeat besides his own. However, was his hearing that trustworthy? He couldn't wholeheartedly answer "yes" to that question.

_"Sight would be good right about now,"_ he thought. Then it dawned on him that it was possible to obtain. A few inches in underneath his bed, was an old flashlight Ollie had neglected to pick up ages ago. If he could just get to it…

The situation was looking grim. He was in the middle of his bed, and rolling over and reaching for the flashlight would be conspicuous. Even if he couldn't be seen, he'd be heard for sure. Could he really take that risk? Was it even worthwhile? His paranoia grew stronger by the second, and as it did, his belief that someone was there with him grew as well.

_"I just have to make it seem as if I'm rolling over in my sleep. No problem. I can do it,"_ he assured himself.

He began to shift his weight. The bed sheet beneath him crinkled, and it took a lot of effort not to stop right then and there. Now completely on his side, Ollie let her left arm fall off of the bed. His knuckles grazed the cold, hard floor, and he blindly groped for the flashlight, weary not to make his body move as he did so. Although the veil of darkness sheltered him, he wasn't about to take chances.

To Ollie's relief, his fingers came to rest on a long, smooth, cylindrical object. He rolled it into his grasp, then hesitated. Worse case scenario, there _was_ someone there, and they were armed with some sort of weapon. Meaning that the next part of his plan would be highly risky. He'd have to be ready for anything, and his movements would need to be precise.

_"Stop freaking out. If someone wanted to kill you, they could have done so by now. This is probably nothing more than a precaution. Yeah."_

Ollie readied his thumb on the flashlight, all set to turn it on. Hey prayed that it still had some juice left in its batteries. His other hand tightened an iron-lock grip onto the blanket, also prepared.

_"One. Two. THREE!" _

Light flooded the room, pushing back the shadows. Ollie's eyes widened, and for a moment his whole body froze.

Someone _was_ there. The person he had seen in the window earlier. Even though the room was suddenly brighter, the man didn't jump or flinch. He turned and stared at Ollie, those dark eyes boring into his soul.

_"Move dammit!"_ Ollie's mind screamed. He felt the paralysis break, and he made his move. He threw the blanket he was holding into the air, onto the intruder. Then jumping from his bed, and rammed him into the wall, subduing him. At least, that's what he had planned to happen. But things don't always go as planned.

Getting the flashlight had been easy. He'd been able to get over his initial fear and had moved quickly. His tackle had been perfect, good and strong. Of course, that meant nothing if you didn't hit your target. Instead, he ran full force into the wall himself and got tangled up in the blanket.

"Are you done?" the man asked. Unable to find his voice, Ollie could only gape. He should have struck him. How could he have missed at such a close range? Worried, he looked to his nearest escape: the door. It was only a few feet away from where he stood, and it would be easy to get to, as long as this person didn't have a gun on him.

"You don't need to worry, I won't hurt you," the man said, noting Ollie's unease. Ollie's eyes narrowed. He didn't trust this guy at all. The light still wasn't strong enough to see everything clearly, for the flashlight had fallen to the floor. For all he knew, he could have a knife in his pocket.

_"Crap, what if he does?"_ Slowly, he reached for the light switch, never taking his eyes off the trespasser. The man made no movements against him, which relieved some of Ollie's apprehension. With the flick of the switch, the entire room was illuminated.

"GAAHHH!" he yelled, flattening himself against the wall.

"There's no need for alarm," the man said coolly.

"What are you talking about? I can see right through you, and you say there's no need for alarm?!" Ollie said, struggling to keep his voice down. It was true. The man standing in front of him was slightly transparent. It was like looking at a reflection in a body of water. You could see the image of what was on the surface, but at the same time you could see past it into the depths bellow.

"You'll get used to it."

"Does…does that mean you're a ghost? Who are you exactly?" he asked, trying to sound fearless. What a joke _that_ was. The man stared at Ollie, but his gaze did not strike him as creepy, as it had on the train. The look was slightly quizzical, as if he had been expecting someone a bit more skeptical. Impressed? No. Pleasantly surprised? Maybe.

"That is correct. I am a ghost. And as for who I am, you can call me L."

**A/N: By the way, I based the whole weird paranoia in the middle of the night off of a real experience. However, nobody was actually in my room. Whew.**

** On Opheodrys, I hadn't planned on giving Ollie a pet at first, but then I started to feel really sorry for him. I mean, he's not close to many people. So at least now he has someone to talk to. That species of snakes are super cute, too! Oh, and for you people who don't know, snakes don't eat that often. Ollie is not abusing his pet like my beta reader thought he was. **

** Well, I finally mentioned and added real Death Note characters. Ain't ya proud of me? Hahahaha… **

** Review please! **


	4. Truth

**Chapter Four: Truth**

Fingers tapped busily away on a keyboard at a speed only a true techie could achieve. The girl working at her laptop paused, rubbed her eyes, then went back to work. It was very early in the morning now, and she hadn't slept for over a day. The only thing keeping her going were those three shots of espresso she had downed a few hours ago. Sure, she'd have bad caffeine induced headaches later, but it was probably worth it. She wanted to get this done.

Hitting the return key for the last time, she leaned back in her chair with a grin. She'd done it. She was in. After grueling hours of researching and typing, she had gotten into the NPA database. Oh the never-ending pleasures of hacking! Yes, she knew that what she was doing was illegal, and she was ready to pay the price if it was necessary. But that didn't mean she was above feeling pride in her skills.

Now the fun part could begin.

She stretched her aching arms and back a bit, then resumed her toil. She began snooping around in the heap of confidential files, scanning each one for the words 'Kira', 'SPK', 'Takada Kiyomi', and the date January 26, 2010.

_ "If only I could have hacked directly into the SPK's files. That would have saved me a lot of work,_" she thought. Of course, that was impossible. Everything about the SPK was confidential, and she'd had to fight for every scrap of information she could get, which wasn't much. A simple Internet search would find only news articles about the SPK's creation, and then disbandment in 2009, and even digging around in other top-secret databases had been almost worthless. Well it _was_ Near she was dealing with. She couldn't expect much less.

Thousands of files later, she shut down her computer. Once again, nothing. No new leads, no breakthroughs. Just the same information repeated over and over again. The girl groaned in frustration and buried her head in her arms to think.

She knew the SPK was a group of people made up of the CIA, FBI, and Near, who had been responsible for catching Kira. Seeing that Kira's judgments had ceased around a year ago and what little information there was on the SPK had vanished, it was likely that they had succeeded in stopping him, despite their "disbandment". But that wasn't what she cared about.

"Why didn't I start earlier?!" she asked herself, digging her fingers into her short, red hair. "Dammit, is it already too late?"

A few minutes passed in silence as her mind and body rested. She was always so tired. Tired of pulling all-nighters hacking and researching this crap. Tired of falling asleep at the computer, and waking up stiff all over. And most of all, she was tired of this stupid unknowing.

Everything she didn't know, everything she wanted to know. It was eating away at her, driving her insane! And this was all she could do about it? Investigate confidential information hoping so sniff out an answer? No, that wasn't enough anymore. She'd need to try something more drastic. Something…

A crazy idea popped into her head. It was stupid and impossible, and it was the best idea she had.

What if she tried to ask Near?

She didn't like the thought of asking him, and she knew it would be absurd to try to meet him, but on the other hand, if she somehow managed to do that, he'd be able to answer her question. Or at least half of it.

_ "God, have all those espressos disintegrated your brain? There's no way in hell you'll be able to pull that off,"_ part of her said.

_ "I'll find a way to do it somehow, and that's not the coffee speaking," _the other half of her replied.

_ "You'll regret this."_

_ "I'll regret not trying more."_

_ "How can you even consider being able to contact him?"_

_ "I'm an optimistic person, I suppose."_

_ "Why would he help you?"_

_ "Why shouldn't he?"_

_ "You're impossible."_

_ "You're one to talk."_

That settled it. She'd set her sights on finding Near. Her goal was ambitious, and seemed thousands of leagues away, but she could see it burning brightly in a sea of darkness and catastrophe. Getting there would be a difficult tightrope walk. Still, she'd come this far, it would be a shame to turn back now.

_ "As for who I am, you can call me L."_

"L? As in the detective L?" Ollie asked. The man nodded.

_ "What's with this guy? Passing himself off as L? THE L?! It might as well be President Lincoln's ghost paying me a late night visit. It's absurd!_

_ …So absurd it might actually be true. _

_ Now that I think about it, what merit is there for a dead person to pass himself off as the world's greatest detective? Nothing that I can think of. _

_ No. There _has_ to be something. The odds are just too extreme for this to be real. There's no way…" _

"You don't believe me, do you," L (assuming he _was_ L) said, a statement, not a question. There was no question about it.

"Of course not. That's very near impossible," Ollie replied. Somewhat calmer now, he picked up his blanket, put it back on his bed, then turned his computer chair to face 'L' and took a seat. "Care to prove your claim?" he asked.

"You _are_ Oliver Staek, correct?"

"…Yes."

Ollie normally didn't feel comfortable giving his name to complete strangers. Well, he still didn't. But that was that and this was this. The man had already known his name, and probably hadn't even needed Ollie's conformation.

"You're father, the FBI agent Knick Staek, died eight years ago while investigating the Japanese police and their families under my jurisdiction."

Whoa.

That caught Ollie by surprise.

As far as he knew, even though the twelve FBI agents being killed in Japan had been announced to the public, the media had not said anything as for what they were investigating. How did this guy know something about his father that Ollie himself didn't?

He'd struck a soft spot, and Ollie was struggling to keep his composure.

"That's not too bad, but it's not enough. Can you tell me anything else? Personally, I want to know about the current L is. I don't mean a name or anything, but who chose him? And when did he become L?"

"The current L is my successor," L said. "At least, he is now. I knew I wanted him, or another person to take my place should anything happen to me, but I was killed before I could decide between the two. I don't know exactly what happened, but I'm guessing the other person turned down the offer." He paused and seemed to think about something, but there was no way to tell for sure. With his blank expression, it made it impossible for his emotions to be read. Ollie was betting on pensive, anger, nostalgia, or grief.

"As for the second part of your question, I can't answer that unless you agree to help me with something. Understand that it is for the sake of the current L. Without you cooperation, I don't think I should share such confidential information with you."

"Cooperation? For what?"

"I'm looking for someone. I figured that I would probably require the assistance of someone with a physical body at some point. That's where you come in. That is, if you feel that you can trust me enough to agree."

"Well, I'm more or less convinced that you were someone with access to very confidential information, but I can't say I totally believe the fact that you're L. Actually, if anything I'm starting to think that you were the other candidate to be his successor."

L nodded again, and put his thumb to his lips.

"Yes, I can see how that is much more believable… And at this point, even if I told you things that only I know, there's no way you could tell whether or not I'm telling the truth. I suppose that in the end, it's all up to your judgment," he murmured.

Ollie sighed and scratched his head. This was quite a dilemma. If there was no way this guy could prove he was L, then they would have to rely on pure trust alone. Not something Ollie really wanted to do, considering they'd only just met a few minutes ago in a very…bizarre way.

_ "Okay, what's the worst that could happen? After all, he's dead. And it's only helping him to look for someone. That doesn't sound too bad. Difficult, but not bad,"_ he thought. _"Then again, I don't have nearly enough information to make this decision safely. If it is a trap, and I agree to help him, the worse case scenario would be... Urgh! It's no good! It all comes down to the fact that I don't know enough! About ghosts, about L, about anything! _

_ There's no way I can commit to this just yet. It's just too dangerous. Still, it's not as if I can say no either. If he went this far to seek my help, it's not like he'll take no for an answer. I...I have to talk carefully."_

"How about this. I'll try helping you out for a while, and I'll come to my own conclusion about you along the way," Ollie proposed.

_ "I don't need to commit to anything. I'll have an escape route. That should keep risk to a minimum," _he added mentally.

"That's what I was hoping you'd say. I appreciate your help," L said.

"…But in exchange, there are some things I'd like to know right now."

"Like what? I'll try to answer your questions as well as I can."

_ "You mean you'll only answer what you want to answer," _Ollie thought grimly, but he held his tongue. It was inevitable after all, and there was nothing he could do about it.

"Fair enough," he forced himself to say. "My first question is: Why did you choose 2:30 in the morning to recruit me?"

"Yes, 2:30 is a rather inconvenient time. But it wasn't my intention for us meet face to face tonight. I had originally planned to hack into your computer while you slept and leave a message that would pop up the next time you logged on. I figured if I asked for your aid that way, you wouldn't freak out as much. Unfortunately, my plan did not work out," L answered. "I only made up my mind about you late this afternoon. And you went to bed late. I wanted to be sure that you were in REM sleep before making my move. I just got unlucky. If you hadn't woken up, the whole thing would have been much more painless for you."

_ "He almost makes it sound like it's _my_ fault," _Ollie noted bitterly. He shook off the remark. Now wasn't the time to be thinking negative thoughts. He needed his mind clear._ "His story _does _make sense. If he really only did select me to help him at around the time I saw him on the train, it all checks out. There's no way he'd try something like that when it was likely that I'd walk into the room. Even if he were to turn invisible, I'd notice that something was wrong with my computer. So the logical time to get into my room would be either while I was eating dinner, or early in the morning. I suppose he thought the former would have a higher risk." _

"Wait, but I ran right through you, didn't I? So how would you be able to hack my computer?" Ollie was thoroughly perplexed by this. He was pretty sure L had decided to get into his computer directly versus using another computer because it would be more complicated, but if he couldn't even touch the keyboard…

L held up his right hand, almost as if he were greeting someone. Ollie raised an eyebrow.

"Touch my hand," L said. Ollie opened his mouth to speak, but he was cut off. "You'll see."

_ "What is with this weird guy?" _Ollie wondered as he tentatively reached out with his left hand. He was shocked to find his fingers meeting a solid surface. A palm. A solid palm.

A chill ran up Ollie's spine. He was sure he was touching a real hand, but it didn't feel right. It was like feeling the hand of a corpse. Cold, dry, and completely lifeless.

"So, you can materialize at will?" he clarified, hastily drawing his hand back. L nodded, and put his hand down. It instantly turned transparent again.

"Yes, but it's not as simple as it may seem. I have a lot of trouble materializing completely, and I can't stay that way for very long. You see, I'm not really supposed to be here."

By 'here' Ollie didn't think he meant his house.

"Why's that?" he asked.

"As you might have guessed, not all spirits become ghosts. When a person dies, usually they pass on right away, save for the occasional vengeful or lost soul. When I was killed, I was supposed to cross over. However, I had other plans. So I did what most sensible people wouldn't do.

I resisted The Pull of the afterlife."

"Um, I don't mean to sound ignorant, but what's The Pull?"

"It's hard to describe. It's a very complex and mystical process that I don't know too much about, but I suppose you need to know at least the basics. The term The Pull is really quite literal. I assume the 'other world' has a somewhat magnetic quality to it, and apparently something inside of dead souls draws them in towards it. Because I'm resisting The Pull it's like I'm being ripped apart in two different directions," L explained.

"Doesn't resisting hurt? I mean…that sounds pretty bad…" Ollie trailed off. He knew he probably sounded stupid. L tilted his head to the side and stared at Ollie with that unchanging deer-in-the-headlights expression.

"No, it doesn't hurt. After all, I'm already dead. I can't feel pain, even when I do materialize. But in a sense, you're right. Resisting is mentally and spiritually draining. That's why I can't maintain a solid form for very long."

"Oh, that explains why you might need human help, but why me?"

Surely L must have had thousands of people at his disposal, and with those odds, Ollie couldn't see how he could be at the top of that list. If anything, he'd guess himself to be somewhere near the bottom.

"It's actually quite a simple explanation," L said.

_ "Enlighten me,"_ Ollie thought sarcastically.

"I'll start with the minor qualifications. First of all, you're not extremely old."

Ollie couldn't help but laugh at this. Sure, he hadn't known what to expect, but this was rich.

"Perhaps my wording was a bit wrong, but it's actually very important. I don't know how long it will take to track down this person. There's a good chance it will take years and years to accomplish. So obviously, I can't choose someone who has a good chance of dying before then."

"You're right," Ollie agreed, nodding his head in. "And your wording wasn't wrong, just kinda…surprising," he added, slightly ashamed for laughing. "What were the other qualifications?"

"You live in Japan. Your intelligence is unquestionably above average. And maybe most importantly…

Your father was murdered by Kira."

"See, that's what I don't get about all of this," Ollie exclaimed. L seemed to be confused about this outburst.

"What do you not understand? The fact that your father was murdered?" he asked.

"No, I came to accept that a long time ago. What I don't understand is how _this_ is connected to the Kira case! Earlier, you said you were killed. It was at Kira's hand, wasn't it? L never seemed to me the type of guy who got really close to people, so I doubt you're looking for a friend or family member. And although you trying to find and take revenge on Kira would make sense, why would you wait until now? After all, criminals stopped dying a year ago. For all anybody knows, he's probably already dead. I just can't make the connection."

"Yes, I see…" L mused to himself. He wandered over to Opheodrys's terrarium and stared at the bewildered snake. The room was still as L seemed to think something over carefully. "There is one thing you should probably know one thing before I explain," he said finally. "Although I don't know how you will take this."

"I'll be fine," Ollie assured him, although a feeling of dread sat in his stomach. L turned and looked at him again, almost in a suspicious manner, but whatever had bothered him in Ollie's reply was immediately dismissed.

"Kira is dead," he announced.

All the air inside Ollie rushed out at once. Although he had come to that conclusion a few months ago, he hadn't actually thought he was right. Could this perchance be the truth?

"Is that a fact?" he asked dubiously.

"It is. I saw him die."

_ "Saw him die?"_ The wheels were turning at a breakneck pace within Ollie's mind. _"Kira died after he did. L knew who Kira was. So if he wanted revenge, he could have… No, vengeance isn't it. You hear stories all the time about vindictive spirits who murder people they held a grudge against, but he said he 'saw him die', not 'I killed him'. Does that mean he had been following Kira until his demise? In that case, why? Was he waiting for something? For what? Him to die? But what good would that do if his soul would instantly…"_ Ollie's eyes widened as a light bulb turned on in his head.

_ "Kira's soul must not have been able to cross over! That means…"_

"You're looking for Kira, aren't you?"

"That is correct."

"That's why my dad being murdered matters so much. It makes me more likely to help you." Suddenly, everything seemed so clear to him. Of course L would want to use someone who Kira had impacted negatively. And where better to start than the son of an unjustly slain FBI agent?

"If your questions have been answered, I'll…" All of a sudden, L stopped, and his "body" tensed. Before Ollie could ask what was wrong, he had disappeared completely. A split second later, the door to his room opened.

"Ollie? What are you doing up? It's a bit late to be surfing the net, isn't it?" Beth's voice was weighted with sleep. Eyes squinted and short black hair tousled, she leaned against the doorframe, awaiting a reply.

_ "Huh? Oh, I'm in my computer chair," _he remembered. His conversation with L had left him in a daze, and even now he was having a hard time believing it had happened at all. But for the time being, it was back to reality.

"I couldn't sleep, so I thought listening to music might help," Ollie half lied.

His mother brought a hand up to her temple and began to rub it in a counter clockwise motion. It was her way of relieving stress, and she claimed it to work, although Ollie had his doubts. Beth knew better than anybody about her son's insomnia and nightmares. When he'd wake up as a child, screaming and thrashing, it was she who would rush to his side to console his sobs. She'd rock him back and forth, and stroke his hair until he calmed down. Then she'd hold him as he cried the rest of it out.

Now Ollie was too old to be soothed in that manner, and too proud to show her his suffering. And yet he didn't have to. She could see it so clearly. Under those layers of maturity, the frightened child remained, greatly in need of comfort. Comfort Beth feared she was unable to give.

"Ollie-," she began, then stopped. She tried to put her feelings into a coherent phrase, but found it impossible. "Just know…that I'm always here for you," she said awkwardly, not at all satisfied with her wording. It didn't even come close to conveying the right emotions, much less get her message across.

Ollie blinked and nodded slowly, feeling even guiltier for lying. He hoped it didn't show on his face. Explaining the truth to his mother was one of the last things he was interested in doing right now. After all, what she didn't know couldn't hurt her.

**A/N: Before anything else, I would like to say that this chapter was a pain in the ass to write. I deprived myself of sleep and ruined my eyesight on this darn thing! **

**Now, some of you might be thinking: Who was that girl in the beginning of the chapter? What's her connection to Near? Well that, my dear readers, is something for me to know, and for you to find out in later chapters! (I know, I'm evil) Review please! **


	5. Circumstance

**A/N: First of all, I'd like to thank NoWaitAuthor for all of the reviews. It means a lot! Same goes to shoyou100. Ok, so this chapter is a bit confusing, but things will become clear in the next chapter. Maybe… Huh, all of these chapters are getting longer. That's a good think I guess.**

**Chapter Five:** **Circumstance**

"Yagami Light?" Ollie exclaimed in surprise, louder than he had meant to. Instinctively his eyes darted around the coffee shop to see if anybody had heard him. Thanks to L directing him to a seat far in the back, nobody had. The other customers continued chatting idly, and sipped their drinks. For all they cared, the foreign looking young man talking to his newspaper at the table next to the bathroom might as well not be there at all.

"You mean that prodigy graduate from To-oh?" he asked, this time in a whisper.

"That was him," L's voice confirmed from across the table. Ollie still found it strange to hear that voice ungarbled, in real life (if you counted him being a ghost as real life, that is), and addressing him directly. He figured it was a similar feeling to talking with a famous movie star, except they were, for the most part, a lot less mysterious and vague.

"Who'd have ever thought," he mumbled, fighting the urge to look towards the vicinity of the invisible speaker. Instead, he focused on some headline about the rising costs of health insurance.

"I did."

It took Ollie a moment to realize that L was actually responding to him.  
"Er, it's an expression. Not literal," he explained.

"I know. I just thought that I'd make it clear that I _did_ have him under suspicion for a very long time."

"Oh," Ollie muttered, slouching in the wooden chair. "So Yagami was using a notebook that could kill anyone he wanted by writing their name and thinking of their face," he said, summing up the long explanation L had given him. "That's kinda hard to believe."

"Are you saying you don't believe me?" L asked, although he sounded as if he already knew the answer.

"…I didn't say that. Honestly, after everything that's happened already, that story actually sounds plausible. It makes more sense than the BS on the Internet. Honestly, how can people perceive him as a god? A god wouldn't need to kill off innocent people for his or her cause."

"Yes. Yagami Light was as human as humans come. Although, I don't blame him for wanting to get rid of those who stood in his way," L said.

"How can so say that so easily? You were one of his victims, weren't you?"

"That may be true, but anyone in his position would have done the same thing. It's human nature to get rid of things that threaten us."

"That doesn't mean it's right," Ollie argued.

"It being right or wrong has nothing to do with it. That's just how most people would act," L stated. Ollie dropped his gaze to the coffee rings on the table.

"Idiot," he mumbled. "Why did he even have to go and use that notebook in the first place?" There was silence, save for the whir of a coffee grinder and a chair scraping against the wooden floor.

"Do you hate him, Ollie?" L posed cautiously.

"Who, Light Yagami? Is it really necessary for me to tell you?"

"Not at all. It's simply curiosity," L said. "I hope you don't feel as if you need to tell me."

Ollie blinked, set down his newspaper, and put his hands in his lap. Did he hate his father's killer? Obviously, he had despised every fiber of Kira's being at first, but he had been much younger then. Had all of those negative feelings stayed with him throughout the whole of his adolescence? Or had they dissipated with the winds of change?

"I don't hate him," Ollie confessed at last. "Not anymore. I blame him, disagree with him, and resent him, but I can't say I completely hate him. I suppose…I feel a little sorry for him. After all, in the end, isn't he the saddest out of all of us? Heh, or maybe I'm just speaking nonsense."

"No, that _is_ an interesting view," L said. Ollie nodded, and took a sip of his coffee.

"But you're the one who always gets the short end of the stick," he added.

"That meaning…?"

"Well, you're the one who tried to stop Kira almost single handedly. It's something your life was sacrificed for. And even in death, you can't rest. You have to track down Kira all over again. Not very fair if you ask me."

"No, it is fair. I'm the one who challenged him in the first place, _by my own free will_. And now I'm _choosing_ to find Kira. It's something I want to do," L pointed out.

"Why? It would be so much easier just to pass on. Why torture yourself?"

"Because it wouldn't feel right if I left now."

"I don't understand."

"It's completely for sentimental purposes. The way things are now, I have no feeling of closure. As long as Yagami Light's soul remains in this world, in this nothingness, the Kira case will never be truly over for me. Even if I were to cross over, I wouldn't feel like I had completely fulfilled my purpose in this realm. You could say I'm trying to tie up all my lose ends while I still can."

"Why couldn't Yagami get to the other side? He's not choosing to stay too, is he?" Ollie asked, considerate of the fact that their discussion might be becoming too personal for L.

"No, he has no choice. I was told by a Shinigami that the price of using the Death Note is that you can't go to either Heaven or Hell. Yagami Light is paying that price now," L answered. He paused slightly, then whispered under his breath, "Nobody in their right mind would choose to be in nothingness."

"But then…" Ollie stopped himself. Some words were probably better left unsaid.

From what he had gathered, nothingness did not sound like a pleasant realm to be in. Ollie thought of how lonely an existence it must be. No, it couldn't even be _called_ an existence. L was in a state of lingering. Agonizing, slow, lingering. If dying was painful, what he was going through must have been at least ten times worse. Although lacking a body that could hurt, the pain was still there. And yet, he had chosen it for himself. He had chosen to disrupt the natural flow of the universe all for his own small cause.

_"Would you call it noble, or selfish of him?"_ Ollie wondered as he stood, abandoned his newspaper on the table, and left the shop. He had faith in the fact that L would follow.

It was early spring, and the Tokyo air was still crisp. Ollie shivered. Originally from Acampo, California, he tended to get cold easily. Even after eight years of living in Japan, spring, autumn, and winter were a bit too frigid for his personal tastes. But on the bright side, the snow had long ceased its falling. If there was one thing he hated, it was snow in his shoes.

Ollie stuffed his hands into his maroon jacket's pockets, and ambled down the sidewalk. He had time (at least 45 minutes) and he needed to sort some things out. Walking helped him clear his mind, and boy did his mind ever need clearing. This whole affair had jumbled his thoughts into a knotted mess.

He meandered thoughtlessly down a side street, letting his feet guide him down lesser-traveled paths until he found himself in a fairly run down part of the city, a part he wasn't all that familiar with. He came to a brief pause to get a feel of his surroundings. Looming over him were mostly sad old apartment buildings that looked as if they were ready to be torn down any day. Clotheslines extended overhead, but none of them supported laundry. In fact, there was very little that indicated people inhabited the buildings at all.

Ollie looked for a landmark, or something he could distinguish later, should he get lost. He spied a large flowerpot, painted a gaudy canary yellow, sitting on the balcony of one of the apartments. His watch read 2:59. Around half an hour left. Satisfied, he decided it wouldn't hurt to walk a bit further before turning back, and continued on.

"Hey, you met Yagami, didn't you? What kind of person was he?" he asked, trying to banish the eerie feeling of emptiness that dwelled there.

"As Kira, he was a psychotic, corrupt, arrogant individual who suffered from a God complex. As Yagami Light, he was a smart young man, who would have been very successful in life, had he not picked up the Death Note," L stated instantly.

"That notebook sure sounds like a sinister thing. I guess it just goes to show how power can corrupt just about anybody."

"What would you have done if you had found the notebook?"

The question made Ollie stumble. If _he_ had found the notebook? That was absurd! He couldn't even imagine what having the power to kill would be like, much less the power to kill virtually anybody and everybody!

"I don't know," he admitted. "I guess it all comes down to circumstance. I certainly wouldn't try to do what Kira did though. It's a far too ambitious goal. And even if I did say that I'd destroy it or something, I don't know myself well enough to say for sure."

"On the contrary, acknowledging the fact that you don't know yourself proves that you're much more aware than people who claim to do so, but don't," L pointed out. At this comment, Ollie couldn't help but feel the pride budding in his chest.

"Hmm, you think so?"

"You son of a bitch!" a furious voice yelled, rudely jolting Ollie from the conversation. Further up the street were three intimidating looking men, huddled together. Ollie instinctively froze, but to his relief, they hadn't noticed him yet.

"What the hell were you thinking, running off with my money? Thought ya' could be a smart ass, eh? Should have seen this comin'!" the man who had spoken earlier said. He was at least head taller than Ollie, and was heavily built. His head was shaved bald, and had the word SPIDER tattooed in a blood red color on its back. He sported a black leather jacket that had had its sleeves either cut, or ripped completely off, and wore no shirt underneath, despite the cold weather.

"How many times do I have to tell you that you have the wrong guy?" a smaller voice complained. It was only then that Ollie noticed the men were surrounding a young boy.

From this distance, it was hard to make out his face, but Ollie spied red hair that stood out vividly against the gray building the boy was pushed up against. Despite the menacing situation, he seemed very composed, his hands placed coolly in the pockets of green cargo pants.  
"This is just another example of how pitiful Kira really was," L sighed. "Even after an rein of seven years, his influence and 'new world' faded almost completely in only fifteen months."

"…"

Ollie hadn't really heard what L had said. He was too preoccupied watching the disgusting scene play out before him. The large man spat at the boy's feet.

"Don't get smart with me, you punk. I'd recognize you anywhere. Tell me what you did with the money? Spend it? Tch, not that I need it back now that I've already got in trouble with the boss." His massive hand balled into a fist so tight that his knuckles whitened. "I'm gonna make you pay with you life, you little shit!" he roared, throwing a punch at the boy's face.

There was a sickening crunch of bone, and a howl of pain. At the last second, the boy had pivoted, and the strike had gone right past him into the stone building wall. The man withdrew his crushed, bleeding hand, his two companions crowding him in concern.

"Spider!"

"Hey, Spider, you okay man?"

"Get offa me! Don't let this brat escape!" Spider ordered. He smirked as his target's escape routes were blocked. "Ready for your punishment?" he asked, curling his lip.

"Okay, that's enough," Ollie said under his breath, and began to walk towards the group.

"What are you doing?" L asked, his voice hardening. "Don't think for a second that a guy like you can take on three of them."

"I don't care. I can't just be a bystander any longer. Hey!" he called. The three thugs jumped at the sound of his voice. Good, their attention was drawn from the boy. Now if he had any sense, he could run away. "What are three big guys like you picking on a shrimpy kid for? You should be beating up people your own size."

"Like you?" one of them sneered, cracking his knuckles. Pop, pop, pop. Ollie shrugged.

"I wouldn't recommend it," he said casually. "I just called the police. They'll be here any minute, and you wouldn't want to be accused for harassment as well as physical abuse, would you?" That, of course, was a huge lie. Ollie didn't even own a cell phone. But hopefully, his poker face was good enough to make his declaration seem true.

"Spider, the cops are comin'! We'd better split before-"

"Shut it, Yoshi," Spider growled. His beady eyes were shifting from Ollie, to the boy, who hadn't moved at all.

"Well, if you leave my cousin alone, maybe we'll reconsider pressing charges. So what'll it be?"

"Look Spider, we're on bad terms with the boss as it is. We can't take any more risks. Let's get out of here," one of the men advised. Spider ground his teeth together, knowing he had no other choice but to retreat.

"Alright guys, let's clear out," he said finally. He pointed a thick finger at Ollie. "Bastard, just you wait. You ain't heard the last of us yet." With one last rueful glare, the trio turned tail and fled into the safety of the backstreets.

Once they were out of sight, Ollie sighed with relief. That had been close. He had probably only been able to pull it off thanks to his luck. That boy had also been lucky that Spider liked to talk so much, otherwise he'd likely be dead.

"Huh, too dangerous," Ollie muttered. "Are you okay, kid?" he asked, turning to face the boy, only to find a Taser pointed at his chest. At that moment, he could only think one thing.

_"…Shit…"_

Although L remained silent due to the boy's presence, Ollie was sure he was thinking something along the lines of, _"Way to save the day."_ L had been right, and now he'd would pay for not taking the seasoned detective's advise. Ollie couldn't tell which feeling was stronger, his alarm or his humiliation. Probably the latter.

"Don't move," the boy instructed. For the first time, Ollie realized how high his voice was. Also the way he stood seemed a bit odd for a boy… It was then that understanding began to dawn on Ollie, like the sun coming out from behind gray clouds.

"You're a _girl_!" he blurted in shock, probably not the most intelligent thing to say, considering his current predicament.

Now that Ollie looked, he felt like an idiot for thinking her a male. Although her hair was short, it was cut in a feminine way. The structure of her face was much softer than any boy's. She was relatively flat chested, but was still curvy enough for most morons to determine her gender. (Ollie told himself that he had been distracted by the situation at hand, and therefore was excused for his hasty conclusion.) The biggest giveaway was that no guy would ever dress like her. Sure, boys wore cargo pants, but they certainly did not layer a tank top over a striped long sleeved shirt, or any shirt for that matter. Even though they weren't men's clothes, she'd still stick out like a sore thumb among women. But what Ollie found most strange were the goggles hung around her neck. Goggles had only one purpose, protecting the wearer's eyes. Donning it on any other part of the body defeated the purpose.

"Brilliant deduction," she responded. Ollie noted no malice in her tone, only sarcasm. He began to relax. It didn't seem like her intension was to hurt him, only defend herself. "You're not with them, are you?" she asked. Ollie shook his head.

"No, of course not." The girl thought on that for a while before nodding.

"You're right. I don't think those guys were smart enough to think of using someone like you as an advantage. They're all muscle and no brain."

"From what I've seen, I'd have to agree," Ollie said. He was aware that she was studying his face, looking for the slightest hint of deception or malevolence. He prayed she didn't see anything that would lead to him being Tasered. Thankfully, she lowered her weapon, putting it into her left pocket.

"Did you really call the cops?" she asked warily.

"No, I lied about that. So if you're mixed up in something with those guys, you don't have to worry."

"I'm not," the girl said. She pushed past Ollie and began to make her way into a nearby back alley. He ran after her.

"Hey, were are you going?"

"As much as I'd _love_ to stay and chat, I don't think it would be the smartest thing to do. I'm getting away from here as quickly as possible. Those punks might be gone for now, but they probably have friends in the area," she answered.

"Will you be okay by yourself?"

"Yeah. It may not look like it, but I can take care of myself pretty well." She gave him a half smile, then turned and left, acting almost as if the last ten minutes had never happened.

"What a strange girl, huh L?" Ollie remarked. The man's translucent form appeared next to him. He too was watching the girl depart.

"Yes, strange indeed," he mused. Though speaking to Ollie, he seemed far off somewhere, as if he were contemplating something deep and abstract.

"Something on your mind?"

"Goggles."

"Come again?"

"Those goggles. They, she seems familiar somehow. There's something about her." He was gnawing on his thumb, the gears in his head turning. Wait…how could a ghost chew his thumb?

"Do you know her from somewhere?"

"I don't think so. But she seems very… Maybe… No."

Ollie had never seen his companion like this before, completely perplexed and not knowing what to make of things. He himself began to feel as if he were missing out on something of great significance. A long lost piece to a difficult puzzle. If they could find it, the its true image would begin to emerge.

**A/N: Don't you just hate it when something is glaringly obvious, and yet none of the characters even bother noticing? I do too. But I also like torturing people with this plot device. MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! **

**If you don't know what I'm talking about, all I'll say is it's obvious. Really, really, REALLY obvious. It's so obvious, I don't know how to make it any more obvious, besides the obvious method, and I'd rather not just tell you. (I used the word obvious five times in this paragraph! Or make that six!)**

**It annoys me when people leave their newspaper on the table and then just leave. –cough-Ollie-cough- Oh well, I couldn't have him carrying it around with him, could I? **


	6. AtC Bonus 1

**A/N: Hahahaha! My fist bonus chapter! Just something special for you all. Also I was bored. Anyway, takes place a few minutes before chapter five.**

"Don't you think you're overdoing it with this façade?"

"Overdoing what?" Ollie asked, not taking his eyes off of his newspaper.

"This whole act with the newspaper. I chose this seat in the back so nobody could see or hear us talking. Your acting is a bit unnecessary," L remarked. Ollie's eyes narrowed slightly.

"They can't hear us, but the _can_ see me if they're looking from the right angle, and I don't want people thinking I'm schizophrenic," he argued. Ollie could already picture it in his mind's eye.

_"Mommy, why's that man talking to himself?"_

_"Hush, Keiko. Don't make eye contact. He's just a little insane."_

Brrr. He didn't want to enter college with a reputation for talking to himself in the back of coffee shops and scaring little girls!

"Schizophrenia… I suppose that is a possibility."

Ollie froze, and his grip on Tokyo Shinbun tightened considerably, staining his hands with black ink, and creasing the paper.

"P-possibility?" he stuttered, nervous sweat beading on his face. "What do you mean by that?"

"After all, there's no scientific evidence that I exist, and I've only shared my proof with you," L rambled on. "There are no other witnesses. It's not too much to assume that that you're mind is not 100 stable."

"I'M TOO YOUNG TO BE CRAZY!" Ollie blurted suddenly.

The café suddenly got very quite, and people were straining their necks to get a better look at Ollie. His face reddening (and eye slightly twitching) he sank low into his seat.

"That was well handled," L said, once the normal chatter had begun again. No response. "You really shouldn't have taken that so seriously. It was just a joke."

_"Joke? __**JOKE?!**__ It should be illegal to joke and sound that serious! Honesty, at least make it a little more obvious in your tone!"_

Ollie silently sat fuming in his chair, picturing the satisfied smirk that would be plastered to L's face, had he been visible. One of these days…

**A/N: Poor, poor, crazy Ollie. I've had him at Taser point, and his sanity has been questioned. What can I do to him next… **


	7. Puppet

Chapter Six: Puppet

_"So I ended up being late after all,"_ Ollie thought. Unless his watch was extremely fast, he had arrived twenty-three minutes past the estimated time. Although that was to be expected, considering everything that had happened. (He was actually late because his faulty sense of direction had gotten him lost as always, but that was beside the point.) He shrugged and walked into the drug store. It wasn't like it mattered, and he'd been trying to kill time anyway. All and all, things had worked out pretty well.

Ollie's face grew serious, as a thought crossed his mind. It had bothered him for the longest time, and now seemed like a good a time as any to put it to rest.

L noticed the abrupt change in Ollie. His brow was slightly furrowed, and his mouth was set into a frown. His body had seemed to be moving on autopilot, his mind elsewhere. Something must have been bothering him.

_"The incident from before perchance?"_ L considered. _"No, even though he was held at Taser point, it didn't seem to bother him _that_ much, his idiotic comment proved it. What else could he be thinking about? We _are_ at a drug store, and he _did_ come here earlier to check on a prescription… Could he have some sort of fatal illness? That would be bad, to say the least. If he is to die in only a few years, I might as well choose someone else now. I'd hate to do that, though. It'll be hard to find someone else as well suited for the task as he is. Maybe he's just picking up cold medicine. It might not be serious at all. Still, I need to find out as soon as possible."_

Completely oblivious to L's hushed concern, what Ollie was pondering was of far greater importance.

_"Why are pharmacies always in the back of drug stores?"_ he wondered as he made his way through an aisle stocked with cleaning supplies. _"They're called drug stores for a reason, aren't they? Shouldn't you be able to pick up medication in the front of the store and not the back? What if you're elderly and can't walk for moderately long periods of time? Why didn't anybody consider the possibility of an old person falling on the way to the pharmacy and getting seriously injured? They could sue for that! Or could they? Technically, if all stores are like that, then there wouldn't be much of a case for it, but if the injury were bad enough…"_

Yes, his intelligence was definitely something else.

"Staek-kun, there you are. I was starting to get worried," the woman behind the pharmacy counter said. Hiyashi Rin, the gentle pharmacist Ollie had come to befriend after his numerous visits to pick up insulin. Although he struggled to get along with people his own age, talking to adults was easy for him, and many of them viewed him favorably, Hiyashi being one of them.

She was a short woman, wore wire-framed glasses, and had long black (but graying) hair that she tied up in a bun. Although past her prime, she had her natural good looks, and was one of the rare few women who never wore make-up. "I've got the insulin right here." She held up a small, white, rectangular box in Ollie's direction.

_"Insulin? That means…"_

"Thank you, Hiyashi-san."

"How's your mother been?" she asked kindly.

"Not too bad. Her blood sugar level's been okay recently, although work's been putting a lot of stress on her. She lost another patient last week," Ollie said.

"Oh my, what happened?"

"There was a car accident, and well, he was pretty old. For a while she thought he'd pull through, but in the end he wasn't strong enough. My mom had taken care of him before, so she took it hard."

"How sad!" Hiyashi exclaimed. "She really does have a tough job, doesn't she?"

"'Tough, but rewarding', that's her motto these days. If anything, she knows how to keep a positive attitude. Um, this pen's out of ink," he said, halfway through signing his name on the pick-up form.

"Sorry about that. Here, try this one," Hiyashi suggested, offering him a pen from her pocket.

"Thanks. I'll see you again soon, Hiyashi-san."  
"Don't make it sound like a good thing," she scolded. But her eyes softened at Ollie's rueful half smile. "Tell you're mother hi for me, okay?"

"I will."

_"Your mother has diabetes?"_ L asked when they were out of hearing range.

"For around two years now. It runs in the family."

"You think you'll get it too?"

"Dunno, but I've made a point to cut back on my own sugar intake just to be on the safe side."

"That's doing your body more bad than good," L said.

"Eh?" Ollie raised an eyebrow. He couldn't make sense of that at all. If he were at risk for being a diabetic, shouldn't he do everything in his power to prevent it?

"You're… kinda a weird guy, aren't you?" Ollie said with a bit of a laugh.

"I'm afraid I don't understand what you mean."

"…Never mind."

--

The apartment was dark and cold, the only light coming from an ancient lamp, the frigid night air infiltrating it through a cracked window. The girl was once again seated at her computer, (there really wasn't anywhere else to sit) her striped sleeve rolled up to her shoulder.

"Dammit," she muttered, examining her sore arm where the men had grabbed her. It was still reddish, and she knew that in a matter of time there'd be a nasty dark purple bruise. With a frown, she rolled down her sleeve, wincing even at the fabric's light touch. But despite the pain she'd be feeling for a while, she knew she'd been lucky.

Although she had been armed with a Taser, she knew that she hadn't even come close to controlling the situation. If the three of them had all charged her at once, or if they had held her down, she would have been finished. She snorted in disgust at the very thought of being killed by those thugs, for a mix-up on top of that! It had been a miracle that anybody had been passing by, especially in such a vacant area. And more miraculous still was that he had chosen to come to her rescue instead of shying away from the sight of danger. She owed her savior a great deal, even though he _had_ called her a shrimpy kid and a boy. Her lips pulled upward into a slight sideways grin.

"Maybe I really do look a lot like a boy," she thought out loud. Come to think of it, that Spider guy _had_ called her a 'son of a bitch'. So didn't that imply that…

Who really cared what it implied? Spider was, after all, an idiot. A tough, vengeful, most-likely-out-to-get-her kind of idiot. She moaned and sunk into her chair. Thanks to chance, she'd have to raise her guard even more. As if she didn't lose enough of the little sleep she got worrying about being traced! She took a calming breath and tried to map out a suitable plan that she could use should she have to deal with him again.

_"Spider's hand is broken because of me, and he won't forget that sort of humiliation easily. But maybe if I'm lucky I won't meet him again."_

Extremely unlikely.

_"Maybe I'll be able to talk my way out of it. Settle things through civilized negotiation."_

Unlikely.

"_Blackmail him into leaving me alone?"_

Risky. She'd have to get her information by bribing shady characters with what little money she had, all for questionable information. Then there was the little problem of how Spider was likely to react. Judging by what she had seen of him, chances were he'd kill her quickly to get rid of whatever threat she posed and not think of the consequences of his actions. This time blackmail wasn't the answer.

_"…Hit 'em in the balls and run away screaming bloody murder?" _

Best idea so far, but flawed due to the fact that she wanted to keep a low profile.

_"Never leave my apartment again."_

Appealing, but impossible. There was the slight dilemma of obtaining vital life necessities (i.e. food), not to mention that school would be starting in a matter of time. But most importantly it meant giving up her search, which she was prepared to lay her life down for. It wasn't worth considering if she had to sacrifice her cause.

_"I guess I'll just lay low and try not to be seen, though I really hate how I feel like a wanted fugitive. In this case, I'm not even the criminal!"_ She laughed at the irony of it all. It was a hollow, dry laugh, devoid of actual happiness. Though she wouldn't admit it, that laugh had come to fit her very well.

"Hmm, there's no rush. Spider'll be on the defensive for a while. Maybe his boss will be so pissed at him that this whole situation will take care of itself," she mused quietly. "It'll be fine. Somehow…"

--

"Could you say that last one again?" Ollie requested.

"After writing the cause of death, details of the death should be written in the next 6 minutes and 40 seconds."

"6 minutes 40 seconds," Ollie repeated, carving the numbers into his memory. He glanced over to his computer, thinking how much easier it would be to type it out than having to remember everything. Obviously, L had forbidden anything he said to be documented, digitally or on paper.

"Those were the five rules written in the front of the notebook. Along with the rule that the person who uses the Death Note can't go to Heaven of Hell, you know six real rules," L said. Lately he had been reluctant to show himself, even when out of public. Ollie still was unused to talking to him like that, but he didn't complain. It must have been troublesome for him to keep himself visible, like having to remind yourself to breathe. To have yourself make a conscious effort to do something that everyone else did unconsciously would be tough, so why do it if you didn't have to?

"Are there any more?"

"Yes, although I do not know many specifics regarding them. There seems to be some sort of 'trade' the human owner of the note can make with the Shinigami haunting it for special eyes that make it possible to see anyone's name, so long as you can see their face."

Ollie nodded at L's explanation, although he was a bit confused about how _seeing_ someone's name worked. There was so much information for him to take in at once. He could save such an insignificant question for another time.

Speaking of significance…

"Oh crap," he muttered as he realized why L was trying so hard to pound the rules of the Death Note into his mind. "L, you said all the Death Notes on Earth had been destroyed, right?"

"Yes, I did say that."

"But you're expecting another one to be dropped, right? That's why you need my help."

"That's correct. Although it's a little late to say that I'm expecting another Death Note to appear," L stated frankly.

"L-late?! So then…there's already…but that means…what?!"

"Don't worry."

"WHAT?! You're saying there's another Death Note in the world! How am I not supposed to worry?"

"It's happened before. I doubt this time will be much different."

"You sure about all of this?"

"I'm always sure."

L's tone never changed throughout that whole dialogue, but there was something about the way he said the last sentence that silenced Ollie. It was so confident, so final.

"I always know when and where a Death Note is dropped on this planet," he explained. "Maybe it's because of how I met my end, or maybe everyone in Mu has that ability. I don't know why, but I trust it. I can say there is no doubt that another Death Note has come to this world, unfortunately in a mildly populated area."

"And you chose to approach me because of that," Ollie concluded, his voice no more than a whisper.

"Yes. Although it's unlikely a new Kira will arise from this incident, it's better to prepare now."

"…I see. I think I'm beginning to understand the role I'll have to play in all of this."

_"In the end, I guess I'm just a puppet after all."_

That's the way things were. Sure, L wanted to work with him, but in reality, he'd be the one with total control over what happened. Would Ollie even get a say in anything at all? Did it matter? Wasn't stopping a new Kira more important than that?

"_It's okay. I don't mind. After all, it's better this way, isn't it?"_

**A/N: I hate this chapter. I really do. Most of it was written while I had writer's block. And I really didn't feel like spending a lot of time editing it. That's why it is crappy. Did I mention I hate this chapter?**


	8. AtC Apology

**AtC Apology**

Ollie: Hello everyone. I know you're probably all wondering why dreamwalker12 made you wait three months for the next chapter in "Amidst the Chaos", and when said chapter finally came out, it sucked crap. Well, today L, ??, and I are here to give you an explanation and apology.

??: Starting with the apology: Sorry.

Ollie: Wait, that's it?

??: Yeah, pretty much.

Ollie: Don't you want to be a little more specific? Like: She knows that there are people out there who were highly anticipating the next chapter, and she's sorry to disappoint you all after a 1/4 year wait?

??: People highly anticipating the next chapter? Don't make me laugh! We've been going for five months and have less than ten reviews! –sigh- Look, I'm not the one who should be apologizing anyway. I'm only here because dreamwalker12 didn't want to write an insanely long and boring A/N at the end of the last chapter.

Ollie: That, and we don't have many main characters.

??: That too. But really, she should be apologizing to me! I mean, what's with writing my name as question marks?!

Ollie: Because she hasn't introduced your character by name yet. This way she can avoid giving everyone spoilers for upcoming chapters. Plus, it's kinda cool isn't it? You know, mysterious.

??: More like extremely corny and cliché.

Ollie: Anyway, dreamwalker12 wanted us to give an excuse as to why she takes so long to update. Hopefully one of us can come up with something that sounds plausible and not just a desperate cry for pity. What do you think, L?

L: …………

??: If he's not going to say anything, then why is he even here?

Ollie: He's our only canon character right now. Without him, even less people would read this fanfic!

??: Whatever. Just hurry up and make the excuse so we can all go home.

Ollie: Erm, dreamwalker12 is what you would call an ADD writer. In other words, she gets distracted from her work very easily and loses motivation for long periods of time. So instead of blaming her for the hiatus, feel free to blame Lucky Star, The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya, Okami, summer school, Red vs Blue, Yu-Gi-Oh Abridged, Digimon World Dawn, Breaking Dawn, and general laziness.

??: Huh, not bad. I guess that about wraps this up.

Suzume: Heeeeey, did you guys start without me?

??: …Who are you?

Ollie: Weren't you that girl in the first chapter? What's a minor character like you doing here?

Suzume: To help make the apology of course! And who're you calling a minor character?

Ollie: Well aren't you?

Suzume: -innocent smile-

??: Urgh, what is this story coming to? Forget it. Bye-ni!

Ollie: Lucky Star reference!


	9. Snare

**Chapter Seven: Snare**

Disconnected. Slowly drifting. Ollie sat in an empty part of the quad, dazedly watching sakura petals fall. How long had he been sitting there? Ten minutes? Fifteen? It didn't matter. He still had a while longer until his next class started.

He'd been in this quiet, subdued state since school had started, for apparently no reason whatsoever. It was far to early for it to be May sickness, and it wasn't like he'd fallen into some kind of depression either. It was as if he was waiting for something to happen, and until then, was saving his strength.

_"I wonder if that Death Note is still somewhere on Earth,"_ he mused with a sigh._ "No way to find out until it's too late, I guess. Well, it's been a few days and there haven't been any outbreaks of mysterious mass murders through heart attacks… So it's not this time after all? I wonder if that guy's happy or sad about that."_

L had actually not bought up the subject much from the day he'd told him about the notebook's existence on Earth. Rather, he hadn't spoken much since that day. Besides giving Ollie more information about the Death Note and what really happened during the Kira Case, he was completely silent, and half the time Ollie wasn't able to tell he was there at all.

At this point, Ollie was beginning to think that he'd never figure L out. He attitude and way of thinking was different from anyone he'd ever met before, and it didn't help that he was invisible all the time, regardless whether or not Ollie was capable of reading L's facial expressions.

"_Maybe he just wants to see where this whole thing goes. Worried or not, that's the only thing to do now,"_ Ollie decided. In which case, why worry? It was probably better to save the stress for later. With that in mind, Ollie pushed away his thoughts and focused once again on spacing out.

There were more people in the quad now. Students were clustered together, chatting about teachers and classes. The new school year buzz was still in effect, and everyone seemed in high spirits. The drone of conversation was soothing, and watching people scurry back and forth seemed to have a hypnotic effect on him. Ollie would never be the kind of person with the ability to fall asleep with his eyes open, but he was pretty darn close to that now.

Although Ollie was verging on the edge of sleep, L's senses were on red alert. For days he'd been delving through the abyss of his memory, and he'd finally found his answer. But could he be sure? No, he had to find a way to confirm it somehow. But if he were right he would probably have to rethink some of his plans. The best-case scenario would benefit him considerably, while worst-case scenario would lead to disaster. It was a wild card… would he have the guts to bet on it?

"Son of a bitch! What the hell is _she_ doing here?" Ollie cried out, nearly falling off the bench. L followed Ollie's gaze into the crowd of students and instantly saw what had caused him to freak out. One spot of red among a sea of blacks and browns. If he had had a heart, it would have stopped.

No way. How could a second encounter happen this soon? It was too soon! In this situation, what would be the best move to make? L's mind was racing.

One chance. Go? Stay? Make the gamble. It's too risky. No other choice. Think of something. This has to be it. Make the move now. How? Running out of time. Only option is…

Yes, that was it. But could he do it? Was it _possible_ for him to do it? It would be dangerous, but if he succeeded, the pros would far outweigh the cons. There was no time for doubt.

"Forgive me for this. You won't feel a thing."

"What? What are you-?"

Ollie blacked out before he could finish his sentence.

--

_"Man, college is such a pain. Am I really gonna have to go through four years of this crap?"_ the girl thought. _"The stuff they made us do back _there_ was way more interesting and it was actually useful! I don't see a point in half of the things they're making us do! To-oh was supposed to be a really prestigious school too… Urgh! I feel like I'm just wasting my time!"_

Although going to school was in a way helping her, she just felt so sidetracked, like she was losing sight of her goal.

_"I'm just not fond of long round-about methods. Who knows how long it'll take for me to get into the NPA and reach a high enough position to contact him? Years? Decades? That's way to long!"_

"Excuse me."

Someone tapped her lightly on the shoulder. Slightly annoyed at having her thoughts interrupted, she turned to face the person.

"What?"

She instantly prayed that her face didn't look as shocked as she felt.

She was looking up at someone she never thought she'd see again. There was no mistaking it, he was the guy who had saved her before! He was staring at her, almost as if he knew something. She forced herself to relax, despite it all.

"What do you want?"

"You were at Wammy's House."

"What's that supposed to be? Some kind of event? Who are you anyway? Why do you keep showing up? You a stalker or something?"

Although she wore a mask of ignorance, underneath it, she was shaking. Was that believable enough? Would it at least put him on the defensive? She couldn't tell. His face only held a slightly vacant expression. What was going on? She didn't understand. He was acting like a whole different person from before. What was his reason for approaching her like this? How did he even know _anything_ about her? And most importantly, would she be able to fake her way out of this? Her mask could provide some protection, but it was just a mask. It couldn't hide everything.

"Please don't play dumb. There's not enough time," he said, easily calling her bluff. "You remember it, don't you? The 'conversation' eight years ago."

She remembered it all right. It had been her first and only contact with L. She'd asked that really stupid question as a joke on…

What was she doing? This was no time to get nostalgic! This bad situation was getting worse by the second. Knowing about Wammy's House was one thing, but knowing it's true purpose down to such details as this was another thing all together. It was scary how much he knew. Scarier still was the fact that he wasn't done. This guy had many more cards to play before he was finished.

"There was a boy there, with red hair, a striped shirt, and goggles," he continued. "It's pretty hard to forget someone who stands out that much."

"That's interesting and all, but as you discovered last time, I'm a girl. Sorry, but you have me confused with someone else."

Like a rabbit fleeing a predator, she'd found a hole to escape into. She began to walk away, but before she could get very far he began to speak again.

"Remembering him helped a great deal in remembering you, although it was still quite a challenge. If it hadn't been for the way you've been dressing recently, I never would have got it. You look very different with short hair."

Up until then, she'd been able to keep her cool. However, now it was all she could do to keep from losing it. She hadn't escaped after all. Now she was trapped.

"Who are you?" she demanded, trying to sound strong, even though her voice was a few pitches too high.

"Back then, you never had your question answered, right? If that's the case, I'll answer it for you now. Yes, my favorite chess piece is the knight. It moves the most unpredictably, wouldn't you agree?"

For a moment, she thought he was trying to avoid answering her question. Then she realized in awe that _that_ had been his answer. Her sapphire eyes widened as she began to comprehend his response.

"…L?"

**A/N: This might seem a little strange, but when that girl was all like: "…L?" I instantly thought about that scene in The Lion King where Nala and Simba reunite after not seeing each other for a long time and Nala says pretty much the same thing, except Simba instead of L. (laughs) Wow, now that I think about it, it's really kinda similar! Also Ollie's "why worry?" earlier in the chapter… isn't that like hakuna matata? Gaah! This chapter is the Lion King chapter! R&R please!**


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